Devices are known for use by surgeons in various operations which can be classified as surgical mallets, hammers and the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,725,878 is directed to a surgical mallet comprising a hammer mounted for reciprocal action utilizing a compression spring for moving the hammer forward. U.S. Pat. No. 1,837,067 describes a similar device. Further, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,200,120; 2,697,433 and 5,059,206 are directed to devices for guiding nails, wires and the like when positioning and holding bone fragments in place. U.S. Pat. No. 2,200,120 contains a detailed description of one operative procedure.
None of the surgical devices heretofore known include the ability to drive a K-wire or the like into bone fragments with gentle but forceful precision while maintaining the direction of the K-wire or the like in a chosen direction (straight or curved) when encountering the resistance of a hard bone.